


Hour of the Wolf

by Luxie



Series: In The Year Of The Wolf [2]
Category: Free!
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Hurt Haru, M/M, Pack Dynamics, Pack Feels, Wolves
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-18
Updated: 2014-10-18
Packaged: 2018-02-21 16:51:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,612
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2475458
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Luxie/pseuds/Luxie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"If he doesn't say anything, how am I supposed to know?” Rin demands, slumping back on his chair looking glum. Makoto knows it still bothers him, the bond Makoto and Haru shares and the fact that he's not in on it. Makoto doesn't tell Rin that the only reason why they grew so close is because it had just been the two of them for years, because at least they had each other while Rin had been alone in Australia.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Hour of the Wolf

Twelve-year-old Rin inserts himself into their lives without explanations or apologies, just a shark-toothed grin and a drive that's contagious.

They know Rin from swim meets and maybe he’s not exactly a friend, but for Makoto the lines aren’t that sharp. Besides, Rin is new and inviting him to join them is the right thing to do. Despite being clearly annoyed Haru allows it, probably because resisting Rin would be too bothersome.

After Rin leaves things are hard for both of them. Haru does his best to pretend he doesn't care, but Makoto can see the pain in his eyes, the way they go hard and distant whenever anyone mentions Rin, so Makoto never does. They don't talk about how the colors seem to lose their sharpness or about the agony they feel when they look at each other in class.

Makoto assumes that it's just the loss of Rin's magnetic personalty that's causing them both to lose their direction.

****************

Makoto is thirteen when he begins to realize that something is off. When his fourteenth birthday comes around all of his class mates have presented and Makoto has matured too much for them to pretend that he's just not reached puberty yet.

“What's the difference between a _latent_ and a neutered cat?” A boy in their class whispers one day. Makoto rolls his eyes and tries to tune him out. It's nothing he hasn't heard before, after all, but when his focus instead falls on Haru he can see his friend getting annoyed. Makoto isn't really sure why, but he doesn't ask. He's learned a long time ago that he'd be at a loss if he tried to figure Haru's feelings out.

“At least a neutered cat has tried to have balls.” The boy finishes and despite the frankly horrible delivery the rest of the class giggle.

“We should go swimming today, Haru-chan.” Makoto says with a smile, because that's a fail-safe way to distract Haru from his sudden bad mood. “The water looked so tempting this morning.”

Haru looks at him like he knows exactly what Makoto is doing, but instead of commenting he turns his head away and looks out the window.

“Okay.” He says and to the untrained ear he might sound bored, but Makoto can hear the touch of anger hidden in his voice.

*******************

In the following years Makoto and Haru grow closer.

Haru isn't the kind of person who shares his feelings and more often than not Makoto has to guess at Haru's thoughts as well, but Makoto has learned by now that this doesn't mean Haru is indifferent. Haruka certainly does care. He knows everything about Makoto, makes sure he does, and Makoto figures it's because Haru doesn't like surprises, doesn't like not knowing. Which is why Makoto has only rarely tried to hide things from Haru. There's no point anyway, Haru sees right into him so easily.

While some people call them brothers there are also a few who whisper behind their backs, making lewd comments. Sometimes about how Makoto only hangs out with Haru, because the only one a latent would be able to push around is an omega. Mostly, however, those comments are followed by someone reminding them that latents doesn't feel _those_ kinds of things.

Apparently, though, neither does Haru.

People _present_ when they reach puberty and are ready to mate, even though no one in this day and age actually expect thirteen-year-olds to mate. The first shift is brought on by an increase in hormones and once they've presented they seem to look differently at the world around them. Most notice the opposite sex for the first time, while others doesn't give a crap about gender. For some the raging hormones are so distracting that they'll rut against everything that stands still long enough, but most are happy to pass shy smiles and tentative touches while they court each other.

For a long time Makoto thinks Haru is somehow prevented from feeling things like lust and arousal because he's an omega. Omega's aren't as rare as Alphas, but in some ways they are even more enigmatic and Makoto has to admit he doesn't know much about how they work, other than the fact that they usually don't have children. Mostly they prefer to keep to themselves, walking the edge of the pack, but if there's tension between pack members they are always the ones to bridge with their gentle and playful nature.

At least that's how they're supposed to work, but Haru has never seemed to care about any of that, as little as he seems to care about sex.

Then one night Makoto confesses his fears of belonging to Rin and Haru casually suggests that he might belong to Rin too, and suddenly everything shifts in Makoto. It shifts into place.

Because now he understands that Haru could never be the soothing liaison between members of the Iwatobe Pack, because he belongs to another pack. Haru would feel loyalty and attraction only towards his own pack. Towards Rin and Makoto.

The thought makes Makoto's stomach turn, because it's just Haru and him now. Rin is gone, could be dead and no one would ever know. This means Makoto is doomed to live his life as a latent and Haru is left alone with what ever desire he has. Even if Makoto wanted to, and in his heart he wants what his body cannot, there is no way he could ever respond to Haru.

“Do you ever feel lonely?” Makoto asks one night, fingers running through Haru's thick, black fur. Haru lifts his head and looks at him with condescending blue eyes.

“I mean, maybe we could go look for Rin. With the Airship it only takes a few hours.” Makoto tries and when Haru tenses under his fingers Makoto is sure the wolf will get up and leave. Instead Haru presses closer, muzzle digging its way under Makoto's t-shirt to rest on his bare chest.

Haru only ever stays with him as a wolf at night and Makoto knows by now that it is because Makoto can respond to Haru's need for affection and physical contact when he's like this and maybe his wolf form makes the longing a little easier to bear.

*****************

“If he doesn't say anything, how am I supposed to know?” Rin demands, slumping back on his chair looking glum. Makoto knows it still bothers him, the bond Makoto and Haru shares and the fact that he's not in on it.

Makoto doesn't tell Rin that the only reason why they grew so close is because it had just been the two of them for years, because at least they had each other while Rin had been alone in Australia. Instead Makoto smiles apologetically, pushing away the painful memories.

“You know Haru-chan. He's a private person.” Makoto says and when Rin doesn't look assured he adds. “I'm sure he would tell us if something was bothering him.”

It's not entirely true. With Haru it's a coin-toss whether he finds something worth sharing with the rest of them or not, but Makoto has better odds at guessing the right side up than most. Either way he's pretty sure Haru isn't running off because he's upset or angry with them. Haru likes his solitude, likes being alone with his thoughts and the water. It doesn't mean anything, but Rin still worries. Of course he does, he's supposed to keep them safe.

“Fine,” Makoto says, because Rin looks miserable. “We can go look for him, if you're that worried.”

“I'm not worried.” Rin lies, head turned to the side like Haru does when he's being accused, but where Haru looks at the horizon Rin looks to the ground.

“It would be okay if you were.” Makoto assures with a smile. “It's natural.”

Rin doesn't answer, but he gets up off the chair and the two of them slides out into the soft light of the evening sun.

They split up to look faster, both changing to their wolf forms to make use of their senses and speed. Makoto heads up the mountain to look by the lake and Rin heads down to search by the ocean.

There's a strong wind coming in from the ocean, making it impossible to track Haru's smell, so instead Makoto shifts back to his human form to utilize his height.

The first indication that something is horribly wrong is the fact that Haru is leaning against the trunk of a tree instead of floating in the surface of the clear forest lake. The second thing Makoto notices is the red grass, the red bark, the red ground. Red stains on Haru's hands and face, red dripping from Haru like water after a swim.

Even to his human nose the smell of blood is sickening. He doesn't know how much of it is Haru's, but since Haru is alone by the lake the other wolf must have been healthy enough to run away.

Makoto's perspective shifts as he falls to his knees next to Haru and he feels like there is a hand closing around his heart, claws digging in. The open gashes down Haru's side are slowly oozing blood and he's is so pale that his skin reflects the moonlight.

“Please...” Makoto says, not sure who he's begging. “Please no, _no no no_. Please...” His voice breaks and he realizes it's because he has run out of air, because he's forgetting to breathe.

Rin. He needs to call Rin.

Trembling, he backs away from Haru and shifts. He tries to put everything into his howl like Rin does so easily, but it comes out so broken. At least it reflects how he feels. He forces himself to shift back to his human form, feeling the human emotions return, fear and anguish washing over him.

With shaking hands he lifts Haru off the ground and starts running.

***************

Mikoshiba Seijuurou has never actually forbidden them to enter Iwatobi as wolves, but out of curtsey to the more skittish people of Mikoshiba's pack they've always kept to their human form.

This time Rin shifts as soon as they reach the first houses making up Iwatobi town. His howl is deafening, even to Makoto's human ears and he knows it's Rin's way of knocking on the door. The alpha doesn't wait for anyone to invite them in, however, but speeds up and sprints ahead, paws sounding like thunder as he crosses Mutsuki Bridge.

Makoto watches the burgundy wolf disappear ahead and speeds up himself.

“Please,” he begs again, this time directing his prayer to the young man in his arms. “Please don't leave me. I can't...” His hands slips on the blood and he has to bounce Haru's slack body to get a better grip. “I can't be with out you.” He whispers into Haru's hair just as he crosses the bridge. Somehow he manages to think of the the time Haru almost drowned here when they were kids, a thought of, _we didn't save him then just so he could die now,_ running through his head.

Rin and the doctor, a lean gray wolf, meet Makoto as the medical clinic comes into view. They shift back to their human forms as they reach Makoto and with Rin by his side Makoto finds strength he didn't knew he had.

The doctor runs next to him, sharp eyes evaluating Haru's injuries and as soon as they are through the doors to the clinic and Makoto lowers Haru to a table the old man has a verdict ready.

“This was definitely done by a rogue alpha.” He says, opening Haru's eyelid while Rin hovers, panic on his beautiful face. Now that the adrenalin is leaving his body Makoto can feel his legs giving out and he falls to his knees. “Some are defensive wounds, but most of these,” He gestures to the claw marks marring Haru's side and thigh, “Were inflicted while he was in his wolf. Still, he should be healing. Has he been sick lately?”

“If Haru gets sick the water heals him.” Makoto says as if it's scientifically proven. Haru said so once, which is just as good in Makoto's head.

“Yes, I remember young Nanase's thoughts on water.” The doctor says, raising his eyes to pierce into Makoto's. “Although I've never heard such claims before the Water does answer to the Moon, so I guess he could be right.”

“Screw that, why isn't he healing?” Rin demands, growl in his voice.

“There appears to be some kind of poison in his wounds.” The doctor says. “I've seen it before. Recently, as a matter of fact. Wild alphas sometimes dip their claws in poison. Cowards.”

“They aren't that cowardly if they come this close to Iwatobi territory.” Alpha Mikoshiba says behind them, making Rin turn with a snarl. Mikoshiba is leaning against the door frame with his arms crossed, yellow eyes on Haru.

“This is out of my area.” The doctor says, now addressing Mikoshiba who nods.

“I’ll call in one of the monks.” Mikoshiba says, but he's stopped by Rin's words.

“No.” He says, voice low and dangerous. “I can take care of my own.”

Mikoshiba looks surprised, but it quickly changes to anger. “Even if it costs his life…?”

Rin doesn't answer, just walks around the table to scoop Haru up in his arms without turning his back to the other alpha.

“Rin!” Mikoshiba yells after him, eyes falling on Makoto instead when he doesn't get a reply. Makoto shakes his head and goes to follow Rin, doing his best to ignore the pool of Haru's blood on the table.

Makoto doesn't want to question Rin, knows it isn't his place, but he's not going to let Rin risk Haru's life because of pride and a misplaced sense of dominance. He thinks bitterly of the young Rin who had written _for the team_ on his stone in sixth grade. That Rin would never let his own pride come before the good of the pack.

Makoto and Haru never talked about how the Rin that came back wasn't the same Rin who left. They both knew why. Right now that knowledge taste like ash.

“Rin,” Makoto calls out. “Where are you going?”

“The bleeding has stopped.” Rin says without slowing. “Right now the Poison is what's killing him.”

“Then let the monks-”

“I'm taking him to Australia.” Rin cuts him off. “The Shaman who looked after me knew about poisons. He can help.”

Makoto feels his whole world dimming and trembling with those words.

********************

Makoto puts a hand on Haru's forehead, but Haru reaches up and wraps his fingers around Makoto's wrist, pushing his hand away with a look that says Makoto is being meddlesome again.

“It hasn't changed since you checked six minutes ago.” Haru says surly, but his eyes does meet Makoto's as if he can somehow soothe the worry there with his stare. When Makoto leans down to press his lips against Haru's brow there is no objections and cold fingers interlaces with his own in a hold that's both comforting and scared.

“We're ready in ten minutes.” Rin says, coming up the stairs to the deck. In the darkness around them the crew is getting the Airship ready for take off.

“Rin, are you sure about this?” Makoto asks softly, because their alpha is still edgy and Makoto doesn't want to start another fight. Not now that Haru is awake. Rin seems to be thinking along the same lines, because he walks over and kneels in front of Makoto, resting his hand on the back of Makoto's head to pet his fingers gently through his hair.

“I know Haru is your world.” Rin says quietly. “But he's my world too, just like you are. With out the two of you I'd be lost and broken – I was, I was lost and broken.”

“But going back there. To that place?”

“The shaman can help Haru.”

“He didn't do such a good job keeping you safe.” Haru mutters stubbornly.

“I'm alive because of him and his wife.” Rin says calmly and wraps another blanket around Haru. “They saved my skin more than once.”

“Maybe he can't save mine.” Haru says dryly, ignoring the hurt look Makoto sends him. “What then?”

“I told you.” Rin says seriously. “If you'd ever try to leave us again I would stop you.”

Haru turns his face to the side, away from the both of them, and his voice is so small when he croaks out the same reply he gave before. “You're so dramatic.”

*****************

Makoto almost misses the howl because the Airship's engines are roaring so loudly, but Rin turns his head and frowns deeply.

“Sei?” He mutters and Makoto freezes up. Then there's another howl.

“That sounds like-”

“A distress call.” Rin finishes, getting to his feet in one swift motion.

“You think-” Makoto swallows, “You think the town is under attack?”

Rin stands completely still, listening for any sound that isn't the deep hum of the Airship. “I can't tell.” He mutters without taking his eyes off the black silhouette of the town. Just then there's another howl and this time there's no mistaking the urgency in Mikoshiba's call.

Makoto hasn't noticed that he's moving until Rin's hand grabs his arm to hold him back. “Makoto, there's nothing we can do now.” He says, nodding towards Haru, who's drifted back into sleep despite the noise of the Airship engines.

Makoto turns his head to look at Rin and the distress he feels must be plain on his face, because Rin drops his hand and swallows.

“It's my family,” Makoto says, feeling like a shit. “The twins. They’re just kids.”

Thanks to the agreement between Rin and Mikoshiba he’s never had to chose between his family and his pack. Even now he's not sure it's a choice he can make.

Luckily Rin makes it for him.

“Stay.” Rin says, looking as desperate as Makoto feels. “Sei needs help and we owe him. Stay and keep your family safe.”

Makoto's chest suddenly feels to small, fear being overruled by a wave of affection towards Rin and his stupid, beautiful face and eyes that look at Makoto as if the mere thought of being separated from him causes Rin physical pain. With a sigh Makoto leans his forehead against Rin's and he doesn't try to hold back the whimper that leaves his throat, but Rin catches the next one with his mouth.

Makoto has to force himself to pull away from Rin's lips and he shift into wolf and turns to Haru. He sniffs Haru's neck with a whine, but Haru is out cold so Makoto just inhales, making sure he can remember Haru's smell and and the softness of his features for the rest of his life if he needs to. Then, before he can change his mind, he turns and runs down the stairs, past the crew members and jumps off the side of the Airship unto the grass below.

Mud and grass is ripped up as he digs in his claws and runs towards the town. Behind him Rin answers Mikoshiba's howl.

*********************

Makoto had quickly learned that his wolf instincts were different than his human ones. For instance he doesn’t feel fear. Especially not with Haru at his back. With Rin at his side he feels straight up invincible.

Right now he doesn't have any of them.

The people in Iwatobi are a mingle of wolves and humans, running to fight or running to find their defenceless children in the darkness. A few of the wolves growl at him, but he smells familiar enough that they don't attack him.

He hears Ran's piercing scream over the sound of people crying for their loved ones and growls from wolves he doesn't recognize and he makes his way towards the sound, summoning all his strength and feeling his muscles work under his fur as he speeds up. It's been less than two hours since he ran here with Haru in his arms and he pushes himself again, this time for his family.

Ran is standing on the stone steps leading to Haru's old house under the single torii, but she's not alone as Makoto first assumed. At the top of the flight of stairs a small group of wolves are fighting an olive-colored wolf and Makoto's wolf instincts screams _alpha_.

The stranger is slightly smaller than Makoto, but the raw power and speed of her is enough that the four wolves fighting her is in trouble. Makoto has play-fought Rin enough times to know the Iwatobi wolves are going to lose.

He takes the stone steps in long leaps, getting Ran's attention with a nudge of his muzzle.

“Onii-chan.” She chokes out as he shifts and scoops her trembling body up in his arms.

“Where's father, Ran? Where's mother and Ren?”

“I don't know,” she sobs, panicking. “I don't know, I don't know!”

“It's okay, Ran. It's okay. Listen, You have to be brave, you need to run to Haru's house and hide there, okay?”

She shakes her head frantically, tears running down her face in a steady stream.

“I'm not brave!” She says and buries her face in his bare chest with another shaking sob.

“Of course you are, Ran. You've always been so brave.” He says, holding her close. “I have to help your pack, but I can't do that unless I know you're safe, okay?”

She nods, but doesn't stop crying, not even as he shifts back to his wolf and nudges her up the stairs. As soon as she's out of the way he turns and throws himself between the rogue alpha and the Iwatobi wolves.

At first the wolves seems uncertain if he's another threat, but when he launches himself towards the alpha with a snarl, they seem to understand that he's helping and they rejoin the fight.

They take her down with joined effort and Makoto can taste her blood in his mouth as her body goes limp and changes back to her human shape. His bite marks are clear in the exposed skin of her throat and her skin is marred by old and new scars, signs that she had been fighting for her life more than once.

For a second Makoto is reminded of the scars on Rin's body, of pressing his lips soothingly to every single one of them before going to sleep and he has to shake his head to get rid of the memory. He doesn't know what made this alpha attack Iwatobi town, desperation or the desire to find wolves she could subjugate to form her own pack. Either way she's not Rin. Rin would never do anything like this.

The Iwatobi wolves are backing away from him anxiously and he's again reminded that his wolf form is considered hostile by these people. Lowering his head he backs off and leaves the wolves to reassure each other that they're fine and look each other over for injuries.

Makoto has a deep gash in his left thigh, but he's healing. The female alpha hadn't used the same poison that was keeping Haru from healing and Makoto feels a rush of sadness when he accepts that this alpha hadn't been the one to hurt Haru. If she had been he would have felt better killing her. Now he just feels empty.

There's a snarl behind him and he turns to face another alpha, but this one is a wolf his own size with fur the color of sunsets and sharp yellow eyes.

Alpha Mikoshiba growls fiercely.

Makoto's wolf instincts tells him Sei is just as much an enemy as the rogue alpha had been, but his head is overruling his instincts and he backs away, lying down on his stomach with a whimper. Mikoshiba snarls again, stepping closer and Makoto can't blame the alpha for his aggression. His territory is under assault and his pack is being attacked. Makoto is a strange wolf trespassing and Mikoshiba's wolf instincts are urging him to kill.

In a last attempt to avoid a fight Makoto shifts to his human form, leaving him naked and vulnerable on the ground. Mikoshiba snarls again, but he backs off a single step and snorts loudly at Makoto's changed smell.

“Sei.” Makoto says softly and Mikoshiba snorts again, walking around Makoto in a half circle to get to the wounded members of his pack. Makoto gets to his feet slowly and with his heart beating frantically and his throat closed with panic he walks the stone steps to Haru's house, just as the sky begins to turn pale behind the mountains.

**********************

To his surprise Mikoshiba doesn't scold him for running around in his wolf form in his territory, but his mother does. She's furious that Makoto risked his life, not just by fighting rogue alphas, but by testing Mikoshiba's instinct to kill every intruder on sight.

“I called him here.” Mikoshiba assures her, which is a small comfort, because he had almost ripped into Makoto less than three hours ago. “Makoto did more for this pack than I could have asked for.”

“It was nothing.” Makoto says truthfully, because he hadn't done anything he didn't want to. “I had to protect my family.”

Mikoshiba smiles as if Makoto's words are the best news he could have asked for and sits next to Makoto on the dining room table. “I didn't even know if you'd already left, and even then...” He shakes his head. “I'm glad you came back, Makoto. Even with Haruka hurt like that.”

Makoto swallows as Haru's name makes his chest hurt again. He can't form a response so he just nods and meets Sei's yellow eyes.

The five rogue alpha's are buried in their human forms in the woods, small shrines placed between the trees, because these were someone's children once. Makoto kneels by the patch of dirt where the olive-haired woman is buried and touches his fingers to the soft earth. She had probably been a good kid once, full of joy and dreams. Maybe she had dreamed of forming a relay team with her friends like Rin had, a foreshadowing attempt at forming a pack. Maybe she had dreamed of forming a pack that wanted her, like Mikoshiba had.

Instead she had become this.

Makoto goes to sleep alone in the huge bed in their house, breathing in the scent of Rin and Haru on the sheets and cries. He cries because Rin has nightmares, because he was forced to leave his home as a child, forced to grow hard and ruthless, and he cries because someone had wanted to hurt and kill something as beautiful and innocent as Haru.

*******************

When Rin and Haru lands two days later Makoto cries again, pressing his lips to every inch of Haru's skin he can reach. Makoto bends down to trace from Haru's temple to the hem of his too-big shirt with his nose, making Haru tremble as he wraps his arms around Makoto's waist to press closer. Makoto doesn't say things like _I was so scared I would lose you_ or _I'd be lost without you_. Haru knows all that and more, knows everything about Makoto as he always have. 

When Makoto has calmed himself down and assured himself that Haru is whole again Rin wraps his arms around Makoto's chest from behind and presses his lips to the muscles between Makoto's shoulder blades, breathing him in until their three separate smells mingle into one.

“Home.” Rin says and Makoto isn't sure if it's an order or a statement. Either way he completely agrees.

 

**Author's Note:**

> I swear I never planned to write this when I wrote the first part. It just sort of happened.  
> I wish I could write smut for you guys, though!  
> Maybe I'll make an effort to write some of that for the third part. Oh yes, I've planned a third part. I can't just leave Sousuke out of this, now can I?


End file.
